Hanging Cactus Dying on One aside Near Window
bryanthegrower
4 years ago
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jstropic (10a)
4 years agobryanthegrower
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Sick Christmas cactus! Help please?
Comments (19)Xmas cactus don't have leaves. Each 'branch' is a stem composed of numerous little segments or joints. At the end of each segment are the cells that will initiate new root growth. And more stems, down the road. Stem cuttings won't work unless they are nice and healthy. Don't even bother if the stem sections you're trying to propagate are still soft and wrinkled. Each cutting should consist of three or four segments. Don't be tempted to take large cuttings (with a bunch of segments), as that will greatly reduce your success. I actually never let mine dry out for a few days, but I know that others urge that you do so. As long as you use plenty of perlite in your potting medium, rot will not be a problem. Take as many cuttings as you like. I will typically take three from the same plant and insert them (together) in a small clay pot for rooting and growing. These cuttings result in a well-balanced finished plant. Also, I'd strongly suggest that upon sticking the cuttings into your perlite/potting medium that you drench it then and there. Those cuttings will need moisture in the beginning. Again, by adding plenty of perlite, you reduce the chance of rot. (You can even use 100% perlite, which is what I do.) Attached is an image of a cactus stems consisting of about three segments each....See MoreHelp? My Christmas cactus is dying...
Comments (14)I just noticed you have this thread going on the houseplants forum, too....looks like you are getting the same responses over there. It is usually not necessary to repot plants, but if you are experiencing problems, one of the suspects is bad soil...it could be spoiled. If you can get your hands on some Pro-Mix, that is one of the best soils on the market. Plastic pots can sometimes pose problems...they trap the moisture for a longer period of time than the clay/terra cotta pots do. Depending on how often you are watering (shouldn't be on an exact schedule), it might not be dry enough before you are watering again. I would switch to a terra cotta pot, but that is up to you. Yes, each segment (this should be fairly obvious) will form a new plant. I place mine (the bottom end) in little plastic pots with good soil and keep them damp-moist, but not wet. Prop the segments up with little rocks or something to keep them stable during this process. I keep mine in an east window so they don't get any hot afternoon sun. Good luck!...See MoreMy Life Cactus is dying! Help!
Comments (3)First off, I'd suggest a pair of gloves with some duct tape wrapped around them to save your hands. No need to pick up a ton of glochids :) I can't much say what's causing the red spots and leaf drop, but if I had to guess, maybe rot? How well draining is the soil? If the spots are soft and the soil stays we for long periods of time, that could be what it is. If the spots are soft, you should probably cut out the soft parts, and if the soil stays wet for long periods of time, a soil transplant is probably in order. This is simply pure speculation, but another possible reason as to why it's loosing branches might be because in their natural environment, this type of cactus gets large and tree-like, and maybe it's simply naturally shedding its lower limbs. But since it looks like you've got a Brasiliopuntia, I wouldn't get overly upset about anything falling off it. If all else fails, you can root pretty much any part of it. The leaves are actually pads that can be rooted to start new plants, and you can root the branches that are falling off too. I really don't know if you could re-root the main trunk. With such a big specimen (an a nice one at that!), I think you'd have to be awfully unlucky to loose it permanently. To root a piece, just let the cut part dry for a day or two, put it in some well draining soil, and wait until you see new growth. Then give it a bit of moisture every so often. Opuntia family cacti are fairly easy too root, and it looks like you're not in short supply of starts if you mess one up. As for soil, cacti are pretty good about growing in low nutrient soil. As long as the soil dries out fairly quickly, you should be fine, although I don't think a nice dose of fertilizer during the growing season will hurt it. Personally, I mix a good bit of perlite (pumice works better, but I've never gotten any) in with my cactus soil to improve drainage. I can't quite tell what you're using from the picture, but it might not like ordinary potting mix. As for light, it probably likes a lot. You might want to consider moving it outdoors during the summer. In the winter, I guess there's not much you can do, but it shouldn't grow too much then anyway. The grow light might help, though. As for the draft, Brasiliopuntia are a more tropical type of cactus, and I'm not too familiar with tropical cacti, but I don't think the chill would be that much of a problem. If its survived it in the past, I wouldn't worry about it now. If this is its first year in the cold, I'm not sure what its minimum temperature requirement is, but as long as its indoors its probably nothing to worry about. For water, I would personally water it more during the summer, but that would probably make it grow faster, so as long as its doesn't mind once every three weeks in the summer, it should be fine. I think once a month in the winter should do, although, again, since its more tropical, it might like more water, but as I said, I've never had one of these. I know that lack of water can cause Christmas cacti to loose pads, its possible that this works the same way. (Yeah, I know, maybe too much maybe not enough isn't very helpful) Good luck, and you're probably better off getting a second opinion....See MoreOrchid Cactus and Thanksgiving Cactus
Comments (7)I have my Easter, Christmas and Thanksgicing cacti outside where they receive indirect morning sun some afternoon sun and then they are shaded in the later afternoon. I have a little nicro climate in the front L shape portion of my house and it is easy to cover and control the climate with lights and plastic when it gets below freexing. I water and fertilizw when I have time and they are all growing and one has buds as I type. It is a white Thanksgiving cacti with a beautiful golden throat. My others are happy and it appears my true Christmas cactus is budding. I do nothing special other than to leave them alone the majority of the time. I am enclosing a link that will assist you with cultivation, and differentiation between the three and other tips. I live in Orlando behind Sea World so that makes it the south west side. Hope this helps and I would love a cutting of yours inulover. Linda Here is a link that might be useful: Cacti...See Moreplantladyco
4 years agobryanthegrower
4 years agoKara 9b SF Bay Area CA
4 years agobryanthegrower
4 years agoRob Blomquist
4 years ago
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